The method of delivery is becoming a key factor to the growth of e-commerce in Europe

PostNord’s annual report charting e-buying habits and preferences shows that Europeans are increasingly shopping online. In the past year year alone, 253 million Europeans bought goods online to a total value of EUR 189 billion, which represents a EUR 9 billion increase compared to the year before.

However, there are clear differences in how European consumers want their orders delivered. Home delivery is big in many European countries, but in Germany, the Nordics and France, mailbox deliveries are the main preference. Delivery to a collection point is relatively unusual in most European countries, but to consumers in the Nordic region and France it is the second most-popular delivery method.

The proportion of people who have shopped online from abroad is rising steadily in all markets. The keenest of all on buying from abroad are shoppers in the Nordics, followed by UK and Belgian consumers. The UK and Germany are the most popular countries to buy online from. The biggest increase from last year was recorded in Poland, with all of 12 percentage points.

“In practically every market, it’s the quest for lower prices that’s driving consumers to buy from other countries. Other reasons why people buy abroad include access to a wider choice or the ability to find products that aren’t available in their own country,” said Karin Falkentoft, Managing Director of Direct Link Worldwide United Kingdom, a PostNord company offering borderless e-Commerce solutions and global distribution.